


Because of You

by spaghettifiction



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, eventually, i miss these idiots, ill also just add more tags as i write, ill just add more characters as they appear lmao, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:02:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22075903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaghettifiction/pseuds/spaghettifiction
Summary: “Did you ever think about leaving?” Liam’s voice broke the silence.“All the time.”“Why didn’t you?”Theo was quiet. That was a question he still didn’t know the answer to.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 13
Kudos: 83





	1. Little Talks

_I’m not confused,_

_It’s just you’re making me think_

_Of all our conversations missing their link._

_~_

There was no reason for Theo to stay after Monroe left. The older kids left for college, Liam and his friends were the new protectors of Beacon Hills. So where did that leave Theo exactly? Nowhere. Alone again. It’s like everyone forgot all he’d done. Sure, he was fucked up. But he still managed to do a lot of good, right? Shit, he sacrificed himself for that angry little beta too many times to count. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he’d do it again. It’s not like Liam even cared anymore though. They hadn’t spoken or seen each other in weeks. So, Theo had no ties. No one to keep him there.

Yet every time he made the decision to leave, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Did he really trust a werewolf with anger issues to take care of everything? He’d grown a little protective after everything Liam and him had gone through together.

But he remembered the look on Liam’s face when he brought him back from Hell. Disgust, anger, revolt. Liam didn’t want him back. So why should he stay? Something painful burned in Theo’s chest. He thought back to when he was sent into those deep, deep depths of Hell. Reliving the same thing every single fucking day. He still had nightmares. He still hated Liam and the others for throwing him there. No one knew what he went through. No one cared. Sometimes he’d lie awake at night thinking about how Liam said he deserved it. He did, didn’t he?

A buzz from Theo’s phone that lay discarded on the dashboard snapped him out of his thoughts.

**[Liam, Today 9:53 PM]**

_you still in beacon hills?_

He stared at the text blankly, unsure whether or not to reply.

**[Theo, Today 9:55 PM]**

_Does it matter?_

**[Liam, Today 9:55 PM]**

_are you still in beacon or not??_

Dodging the question. Typical.

**[Theo, Today 9:56 PM]**

_Yeah._

**[Liam, Today 10:00 PM]**

_come over, we need to talk_

Theo was annoyed. Weeks of no communication and now “they need to talk.” There was nothing to talk about in the first place. Maybe Liam was finally gonna say something like, “Oh thank you so much for saving my life and sacrificing yourself for me so many times, you’re welcomed into our pack!” Which was highly doubtful, to say the least.

The truck’s engine spluttered to life as he turned his keys. He pulled out of the empty parking lot he planned to sleep in and drove to the beta’s home.

Liam was already waiting outside by the time Theo arrived. He parked in the driveway and got out of his truck, arms crossed, face smug. He wasn’t anticipating the punch Liam threw the second they were face to face.

Theo stumbled back, “What the fuck was that for?!”

“I heard nothing from you for four weeks!” Liam cried.

“Why are _you_ mad? You could’ve fucking texted at anytime!”

“You could’ve too! I thought you left!”

“Aww… Did the little beta miss me?” Theo cooed mockingly.

Liam’s eyes flickered.

Theo sighed, “I didn’t go anywhere.”

“Then where have you been?”

“Just around.”

“And what if something happened and we needed your help?!”

“Liam, that is exactly why you have my phone number.”

Liam’s mouth opened and closed with no words like a fish out of water. He was trying to argue, but obviously he was failing.

Theo smirked, “Is this the part where you confess how much you missed me?”

“No!”

A laugh erupted from Theo’s throat. It was always so amusing seeing Liam so worked up and fussy like a child.

“Go get some sleep, Liam,” Theo turned to leave.

“Wait! Don’t leave, how about you sleep over?”

The pleading and uncertain look on Liam’s face was enough for Theo to agree to spend the night. It also sounded appealing to sleep on something softer than the rugged back seat of his truck. So, he followed Liam into his house and up into his room.

“Uh… you can wear some of my clothes for tonight.”

“Assuming they’ll fit me.”

“I’m literally only an inch shorter than you, Theo,” Liam grumbled.

Theo held his hands up defensively, “An inch can make a big difference.”

“I won’t hesitate to break your nose again.”

Theo chuckled.

The chimera settled for a random pair of basketball shorts and just kept his own shirt on, he didn’t feel comfortable enough to wear purely Liam’s clothes. Theo stood awkwardly in the middle of Liam’s room while he waited for him to come back from the bathroom. He looked at the walls, posters were pinned and taped up, pictures of him and his friends (mostly Corey, Mason, and Liam) were there too. He took a closer look at one of them. Liam and Hayden Romero. Theo scowled. There was something about her that just ticked him off, it didn’t help that he’d witness Liam shove his tongue down her throat one too many times. He was glad she was gone. Why did Liam even bother keeping that picture up? Theo remembered the obnoxious slump he was in when she left.

He turned around as he heard the sound of Liam approaching. Liam was in a white tank top and gray sweats, he must’ve taken a quick shower since his hair was damp and Theo could faintly smell the body wash he used. 

“You can sleep in the bed if you want,” Liam said.

Theo stared at the bed, then back to Liam, then back to the bed.

“I think I’m good.”

“Hey, I don’t bite,” Liam shrugged.

“Yes you do. And you punch.”

“Good point,” Liam laughed.

Theo wandered over to the couch at the far end of Liam’s room. He settled down, immediately feeling relaxed. This was so much better than his cramped truck.

“Hey, catch.”

Liam tossed a balled up blanket in his direction. He caught it and threw it over himself. It was soft, really soft. Theo let out a quiet sigh. It smelled strongly of Liam though.

It was silent between the two. As comfortable as Theo was, he wasn’t falling asleep. He listened to the beta’s soft breathing and his slow heartbeat. Four weeks of no talking and now he’s spending the night. It was so sudden. He wasn’t complaining, it really was a free invitation to finally relax, but he felt like there was something more. No one contacted him unless they needed something from him. He was sure of it.

“Did you ever think about leaving?” Liam’s voice broke the silence.

“All the time.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Theo was quiet. That was a question he still didn’t know the answer to.

“I don’t know.”

“Hm.”

They said nothing more. Liam drifted off to sleep shortly before Theo did. Maybe it was because he knew he wasn’t alone, maybe it was because he was finally sleeping comfortably, but he didn’t dream of his sister taking her heart back that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the lyrics in the beginning are from mistakes like this by prelow  
> i, spaghetti, am trying to improve my writing and just write more in general so here's this. also i yearn for more thiam content so i have to do this myself  
> more to come!  
> i wont leave you hanging.


	2. Trust Issues

_ Are we too young for this? _

_ Feels like I can’t move. _

_ ~ _

Theo completely forgot it was a school night, which meant the blaring sound of Liam’s alarm was really testing his patience. The chimera stayed strewn across the couch waiting for Liam to wake up and end it, but that didn’t happen. So instead, Theo groaned and got up to turn the damn alarm off himself. As he picked up the phone from the nightstand, Liam’s hand shot out from beneath his blanket to grab Theo’s wrist. Not too long after, Liam opened his eyes to see Theo looking down at him, irritation written all over his face.

“I’m just trying to turn your alarm off.”

Liam pulled his hand away, “right, sorry.”

He cleared his throat, “I thought you were gonna-” Liam cut himself off.

Theo furrowed his brows, “you thought I was gonna what?”

“Nothing.”

Theo frowned. It felt like Liam still didn’t trust him. Which is what Theo assumed was the case. The sense of Liam’s eyes on him as he entered the bathroom to change never left. When he walked out, he simply placed the borrowed shorts on the couch and left the house without a word. In the distance, he could hear Liam’s footsteps following after him.

“Dude, what did I do?” Liam called out after him.

Theo turned around, fighting to keep a neutral look on his face, “nothing.”

“You smell annoyed.”

“And you’ve never been good at sensing chemosignals. I’m just gonna go get a coffee before school.”

Liam’s shoulders drooped, it didn’t convince the beta. And honestly? Theo didn’t care right now. All he wanted was some space to himself.

“Okay,” Liam mumbled.

Theo drove off and left Liam standing alone in his driveway. Instead of getting that much needed cup of coffee, he’d just driven to the school. His mind was overwhelmed with his thoughts as he sat in the nearly empty parking lot.

The doubts, the regrets, the guilt. It all started flooding back again. He should’ve been sent back. Although he despised that place, he didn’t hate it as much as he hated himself. Tara never deserved to die like that. She had so much ahead of her. She was bound to be more successful than Theo, happier than Theo. It should’ve been him who died that day. If he died he never would’ve had to deal with the Dread Doctors, he never would’ve had to deal with Hell. It should’ve been him. It should’ve been him. It should’ve been him.  _ It should’ve been me. _

His head started to pound from holding back tears. A pressure began to build in his throat from repressing a sob. He dug his claws into the palms of his hands. Digging them deep, thick blood gushing from the cuts. Anything to take his mind off the emotional pain. The sting had him clenching his teeth, but he deserved it. Dark crimson dripped down onto his pants.

“Fuck.”

As he reached for a tissue in the glove compartment, the skin on his palms mended itself back together, leaving only the blood behind. He wiped off what he could, his fingers were slightly tacky from the blood. In the distance he heard the sound of the class bell ring. Theo grabbed his bag and left for class, hoping no one would ask him about the dark stain on his thigh.

The walk from the parking lot to class made him dizzy. The stench of blood wouldn’t leave his nose and he began to taste the metallic in his mouth. His hands were tinted red and it kept bringing back bad memories.

Class had gone by in a rush. Even after the good night’s rest, he wasn’t able to keep up with everything. Exhaustion from what went down in the parking lot ate him up inside. When it was time for lunch he made his way back to the truck. Being in that lunchroom was almost as bad as death. It was crowded, loud, and made him claustrophobic. Theo wasn’t hungry either, at least that’s what he was trying to convince himself.

As he climbed into his truck, a vibration came from his phone. A text from Liam glowed brightly on the screen after he fished it out from his pocket.

**[Liam, 11:15 PM]**

_ where are you? _

Theo rolled his eyes. Part of him felt bad, but he didn’t bother with replying to it. Dealing with Liam wasn’t something he felt like doing right now. If it was something that was really important he’d call and if it was something major, Mason would call.

**[Liam, 11:17 PM]**

_ did you seriously just leave me on seen???? _

Theo let out an irritated exhale. This kid was not gonna leave him alone, was he? He shut his phone off and tossed it behind him. The sound of the thud as it landed on the ground of the truck rather than the seat made him cringe. 

He contemplated taking a quick nap before going back to class, but he just couldn’t bring himself to shut his eyes with the car still smelling so metallic from his blood. Sometimes having heightened senses weren’t always great. He’d have to clean that up before anyone else noticed.

On his way to class, someone grabbed his arm.

“Liam, I swear to God-” but it wasn’t Liam.

A girl with brown, wavy hair and blue eyes looked up at him. She was  _ cute. _ He quickly cut himself off, “you are not Liam.”

The girl laughed sheepishly, her face instantly flushing. The hand she had placed on Theo’s arm was pulled away. She cleared her throat.

“Okay, so like, I’m in your history class and I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?” Her eyes wandered everywhere else except for his face.

Theo was stunned. No one ever approached him like this. He knew he was attractive, it was just common knowledge, but he’d never had someone actually ask him out on a date. Something about it had his mouth quirking up into a smile.

“I’ll think about it,” he flashed her one of his award winning grins.

She grinned back, letting her shoulders relax. There was a spring in her step as she turned and hurried away to get to class.

Theo couldn’t help but feel a little more confident while he walked to his own class.

This was the last class of the day, Theo’s brain turned to mush as he went through the same routine he had done in all his other classes. Look interested, write down some words, raise your hand, but pray you don’t get called on. It wasn’t like he was never taught anything when he was with the Dread Doctors. They kept him educated, he was a pretty above average student when it came to his grades. He got shit done and he got shit done  _ well. _

When the bell rang, he was the last person to leave his class. Everyone else was pushing and shoving through the small door. Theo wasn’t interested in being shoved and pressed against other people.

As he walked through the bustling halls, someone else caught his arm and dragged him into an empty classroom. The nature of it all was definitely not the cute girl again. It was too sudden. Too forceful.

Unsurprisingly, it was Liam. The werewolf’s eyes were wide and anxiety was rolling off from him. The grip he had on Theo’s arm tightened.

“I can smell your blood,” Liam said hurriedly.

Theo blinked, “Okay.”

“Did something happen? Were you in a fight? Are the hunters back?”

“No.”

“To which one?!” Liam cried.

“To all of them,” Theo jerked his arm away, “I just got a cut.”

Liam crossed his arms, “Scott entrusted me with the protection of Beacon Hills, you have to tell me if something happened.”

“Liam, let me say it one more time. Nothing happened. I just got a cut. Can you get that through your thick skull?”

Theo pushed past Liam towards the door of the classroom. Did this guy ever fucking relax? He’s always got something shoved up his ass.

“Theo.”

He didn’t look back, “Yeah?”

“I trust you, okay?”

“Okay.”

And somehow those four simple words meant everything to Theo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spaghetti understands the struggle fanfic writers have to go through with updating  
> spaghetti is so sorry  
> im also very sorry this is so short, i dont understand how people are able to write so much, i used to be able to do that but i lost all my braincells from people slurpin it up so much  
> the lyrics from the beginning are from softcore by the neighbourhood


	3. Wishful Thinking

_ This is getting too far. _

_ What else is there to say? _

_ Maybe that’s okay. _

_ ~ _

“Theo, please fucking pick up. Just answer the phone, Jesus fucking Christ!” Liam’s knee bounced anxiously as he dialed and redialed Theo’s number.

The TV was on, displaying the news channel. Liam was about to give up.

“Yeah?”

“THEO. Theo. Answer your fucking phone quicker or else I’ll kill you.”

“Then kill me.”

“No.”

There was an awkward beat of silence.

Liam cleared his throat, “Did you see the news?”

“What am I? Forty? I don’t watch the news.”

“Theo, people are going  _ missing _ .”

“Oh?” A pause, “how many?”

“Um,” Liam looked up at the screen, “it was a guy and his girlfriend.”

“And what exactly does this have to do with us? Thousands of people go missing every week, Beacon Hills isn’t special.”

“First of all, after everything that’s happened, I’d classify Beacon Hills as special. Also, they disappeared SUDDENLY.”

There was a sigh from the other end, “Liam, they were probably stupid and eloped or something.”

“What if they didn’t?”

“That’s a big if.”

Liam grumbled.

“What? Just relax, you’re intentionally looking for danger in everything that happens.”

“Okay, maybe you’re right. Are you home? Don’t want you getting kidnapped and sold to some creep too.”

Theo hesitated, “yeah. I’m home.”

“Good, I’ll call you if anything else happens. You better answer!”

“Aye, aye, little wolf.”

The call ended and that was that.

It still didn’t sit right with Liam. The peacefulness of Beacon Hills after Monroe left was nice yet so unsettling. Like a predator’s stealthy silence before attacking its prey. He just had to wait and see. Waiting was always the hard part.

He turned the TV off. It was already distracting him from his homework before the news came on. The study guide on his desk stared back at him.  _ What are you waiting for? _ It asked. Liam slammed his pencil down and picked up his phone.

“Theo?”

“It hasn’t even been ten minutes, Liam.”

“Can you help me study for a quiz?”

It was quiet.

“Sure, why the fuck not.”

-

Liam was already at the door by the time Theo pulled into the driveway. Before Theo could knock, the door swung open to reveal Liam looking a little disheveled in his sweats. The two boys went upstairs.

“What class is it?” Theo asked.

“Chemistry.”

“Ah, just my forte.”

Liam spun around in his chair to raise an eyebrow at Theo who was spread out on the bed.

“Don’t look at me like that, beta. Hand over your phone,” Theo held his palm out.

“What? Why?” Liam held onto his phone protectively.

“It’s gonna distract you.” 

"No, it's not!"

"My bad, did you not call me using that phone when you were supposed to be doing your homework?"

_ He got me there _ . Liam thought. He tossed his beloved phone to Theo who slipped it into his pocket with a smirk. That goddamn smirk.

"Let's see your homework."

-

The two had spent a few hours balancing equations and glaring at the periodic table. Liam was so burnt out he was practically smoking from the head. But it'd become automatic. Each question Theo quizzed him on, he had the answer down.

"I think you're good to go," Theo smiled.

"I think I'm good to nap."

The chimera moved to leave, "I'll leave you to it."

Liam felt himself panic, "wait you don't have to leave."

Theo looked back, puzzled.

"We could like," he leaned back, "talk or something… we haven't been able to recently."

In all honesty, Liam hated the thought of Theo being by himself. He was worried the guy would get himself into trouble, especially with how hostile Theo can be. He didn't want any more of his friends to get hurt.

"Okay, sure," Theo sat back down on the bed.

Liam laid down next to him, trying to get comfortable. The awkwardness rolled into the room. What was there to be said? What was there to be asked?

“This uh,” Theo cleared his throat, “this girl asked me on a date the other day.”

Immediately, Liam perked up. Something about what Theo said startled him. Theo never seemed like the dating type.

“Are you?”

“Hm?”

“Are you gonna go on a date with her?”

Theo shrugged, “yeah, why not?”

“Oh! Cool, cool,” Liam nodded, “tell me about her.”

“Honestly I know nothing. We’re in the same history class, she’s cute.”

“If things go well are you gonna, like, stay with her?”

“I guess, never really thought about that.”

This bothered Liam. It didn’t make sense. Theo just happily going on a date with some girl he’s clueless about. It took forever to get on good terms with him, it’s still going pretty rough, but this girl waltzes in and does it with ease. Okay. Fine.

“Nice.”

“Anyone catch your eye?” Theo turned to Liam.

“No, actually. After Hayden I kinda just… y’know.”

“Ah,” a sigh, “Hayden.”

“You really didn’t like her did you?”

“I really didn’t like her,” Theo chuckled.

Liam raised a brow, “why?”

“She was a bitch.”

“I hate to break this to you, Theo, but you are also a bitch.”

Theo smacked Liam playfully.

“Yeah, but I’m attractive.”

Liam sat up, “oh, so you’re saying my ex isn’t attractive?” His smile ruining the seriousness of it.

“What if I am?”

“Then… that is  _ rude _ of you.”

Theo turned and scoffed, expecting more to happen. But things never go his way, do they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry for not only the short, filler chapter but for taking so long to update. ive been stuck with the story even tho i have the outline. hopefully being confined at home can get me to write more. i hope you guys are safe!


End file.
